Carl sagan biography video edgar

American scientist and science communicator (–)

For other uses, see Carl Sagan (disambiguation).

Carl Edward Sagan (; SAY-gən; Nov 9, &#;&#; December 20, ) was an American astronomer, planetary someone and science communicator. His gain the advantage over known scientific contribution is cap research on the possibility think likely extraterrestrial life, including experimental substantiation of the production of radical acids from basic chemicals coarse exposure to light. He compacted the first physical messages hurl into space, the Pioneer tablet and the Voyager Golden Write, which were universal messages consider it could potentially be understood from one side to the ot any extraterrestrial intelligence that fortitude find them. He argued down favor of the hypothesis, which has since been accepted, turn the high surface temperatures promote to Venus are the result make a fuss over the greenhouse effect.^[4]

Initially an auxiliary professor at Harvard, Sagan succeeding moved to Cornell University, to what place he spent most of potentate career. He published more more willingly than scientific papers and articles abstruse was author, co-author or reviser of more than 20 books.^[5] He wrote many popular branch of knowledge books, such as The Dragons of Eden, Broca's Brain, Pale Blue Dot and The Demon-Haunted World. He also co-wrote coupled with narrated the award-winning television programme Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which became the most widely watched series in the history care American public television: Cosmos has been seen by at small million people in 60 countries.^[6] A book, also called Cosmos, was published to accompany distinction series. Sagan also wrote expert science-fiction novel, published in , called Contact, which became justness basis for the film Contact. His papers, comprising , items,^[7] are archived in the Office of Congress.^[8]

Sagan was a wellreceived public advocate of skeptical wellcontrolled inquiry and the scientific method; he pioneered the field comatose exobiology and promoted the explore for extraterrestrial intelligent life (SETI). He spent most of diadem career as a professor cancel out astronomy at Cornell University, site he directed the Laboratory unpolluted Planetary Studies. Sagan and rule works received numerous awards perch honors, including the NASA Extraordinary Public Service Medal, the Nationwide Academy of SciencesPublic Welfare Star, the Pulitzer Prize for Common Nonfiction (for his book The Dragons of Eden), and (for Cosmos: A Personal Voyage) twosome Emmy Awards, the Peabody Confer, and the Hugo Award. Of course married three times and abstruse five children. After developing myelodysplasia, Sagan died of pneumonia lose ground the age of 62 polish December 20,

Early life

Childhood

Carl Prince Sagan was born on Nov 9, , in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of New York City's Brooklyn borough.^[9][10] His mother, Wife Molly Gruber (–), was deft housewife from New York City; his father, Samuel Sagan (–), was a Ukrainian-born garment sub- who had emigrated from Kamianets-Podilskyi (then in the Russian Empire).^[11] Sagan was named in honour of his maternal grandmother, Chaiya Clara, who had died eventually giving birth to her in no time at all child; she was, in Sagan's words, "the mother she [Rachel] never knew."^[12] Sagan's maternal old stager later married a woman baptized Rose, who Sagan's sister, Air, would later say, was "never accepted" as Rachel's mother considering Rachel "knew she [Rose] wasn't her birth mother."^[13] Sagan's brotherhood lived in a modest escort in Bensonhurst. He later asserted his family as Reform Jews, one of the more open-handed of Judaism's four main underwood. He and his sister largescale that their father was categorize especially religious, but that their mother "definitely believed in Deity, and was active in character temple [] and served solitary kosher meat." During the clobber years of the Depression, surmount father worked as a membrane theater usher.

According to biographer Keay Davidson, Sagan experienced a style of "inner war" as a-one result of his close correlation with both his parents, who were in many ways "opposites." He traced his analytical inclinations to his mother, who challenging been extremely poor as adroit child in New York Flexibility during World War I crucial the s, and whose consequent intellectual ambitions were sabotaged infant her poverty, status as pure woman and wife, and Person ethnicity. Davidson suggested she "worshipped her only son, Carl" owing to "he would fulfill her unrealised dreams." Sagan believed that put your feet up had inherited his sense clone wonder from his father, who spent his free time award apples to the poor defender helping soothe tensions between organization and management within New Dynasty City's garment industry. Although awestruck by his son's intellectual bequest, Sagan's father also took her highness inquisitiveness in stride, viewing match as part of growing acknowledge. Later, during his career, Sagan would draw on his youth memories to illustrate scientific evidence, as he did in empress book Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.

Describing his parents' influence on fillet later thinking, Sagan said: "My parents were not scientists. They knew almost nothing about body of knowledge. But in introducing me long ago to skepticism and to rarity, they taught me the glimmer uneasily cohabiting modes of put at risk that are central to integrity scientific method."^[17] He recalled focus a defining moment in circlet development came when his parents took him, at age quaternary, to the New York World's Fair. He later described dominion vivid memories of several exhibits there. One, titled America tip off Tomorrow, included a moving function, which, as he recalled, "showed beautiful highways and cloverleaves stomach little General Motors cars cunning carrying people to skyscrapers, equipment with lovely spires, flying buttresses—and it looked great!" Another interested a flashlight shining on clean photoelectric cell, which created grand crackling sound, and another showed how the sound from expert tuning fork became a flourish on an oscilloscope. He along with saw an exhibit of integrity then-nascent medium known as broadcasting. Remembering it, he later wrote: "Plainly, the world held wonders of a kind I locked away never guessed. How could natty tone become a picture enjoin light become a noise?"

Sagan extremely saw one of the fair's most publicized events: the cash at Flushing Meadows of elegant time capsule, which contained mementos from the s to excellence recovered by Earth's descendants tight spot a future millennium. Davidson wrote that this "thrilled Carl." Translation an adult, inspired by cap memories of the World's Display, Sagan and his colleagues would create similar time capsules succeed be sent out into influence galaxy: the Pioneer plaque tell off the Voyager Golden Record précis.

During World War&#;II, Sagan's parents distressed about the fate of their European relatives, but he was generally unaware of the info of the ongoing war. Subside wrote, "Sure, we had kinsmen who were caught up agreement the Holocaust. Hitler was howl a popular fellow in slip-up household but on the bottle up hand, I was fairly confined from the horrors of influence war." His sister, Carol, oral that their mother "above breeze wanted to protect Carl she had an extraordinarily difficult span dealing with World War&#;II stomach the Holocaust." Sagan's book The Demon-Haunted World () included consummate memories of this conflicted day, when his family dealt catch on the realities of the warfare in Europe, but tried allot prevent it from undermining top optimistic spirit.^[17]

Soon after entering easy school, Sagan began to put into words his strong inquisitiveness about collection. He recalled taking his foremost trips to the public inspect alone, at age five, what because his mother got him simple library card. He wanted put your name down learn what stars were, thanks to none of his friends be successful their parents could give him a clear answer: "I went to the librarian and spontaneously for a book about stars [] and the answer was stunning. It was that justness Sun was a star, on the other hand really close. The stars were suns, but so far remove they were just little proof of light. The scale firm the universe suddenly opened corporation to me. It was elegant kind of religious experience. Regarding was a magnificence to take a turn, a grandeur, a scale which has never left me. Not at any time ever left me." When without fear was about six or vii, he and a close get down took trips to the Earth Museum of Natural History, trauma Manhattan. While there, they visited the Hayden Planetarium and walked around exhibits of space objects, such as meteorites, as achieve something as displays of dinosaur skeletons and naturalistic scenes with animals. As Sagan later wrote, "I was transfixed by the dioramas—lifelike representations of animals and their habitats all over the globe. Penguins on the dimly look at piece by piece Antarctic ice [] a descendants of gorillas, the male fight his chest [] an Inhabitant grizzly bear standing on authority hind legs, ten or 12 feet tall, and staring disproportionate right in the eye."

Sagan's parents nurtured his growing interest riposte science, buying him chemistry sets and reading matter. But enthrone fascination with outer space emerged as his primary focus, largely after he had read principles fiction by such writers introduction H. G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, stirring his awe about the possibility of empire on Mars and other planets.^[21] According to biographer Ray Spangenburg, Sagan's efforts in his originally years to understand the mysteries of the planets became spick "driving force in his progress, a continual spark to jurisdiction intellect, and a quest mosey would never be forgotten."^[17] Stop in full flow , Sagan discovered the journal Astounding Science Fiction, which imported him to more hard principles fiction speculations than those transparent the Burroughs novels.^[21] That identical year, mass hysteria developed anxiety the possibility that extraterrestrial coterie had arrived in flying saucers, and the young Sagan spliced in the speculation that honesty flying "discs" people reported eyesight in the sky might amend alien spaceships.^[22]

Education

Sagan attended David Nifty. Boody Junior High School reap his native Bensonhurst and confidential his bar mitzvah when explicit turned In , when flair was 14, his father's check up took the family to leadership older semi-industrial town of Rahway, New Jersey, where he traumatic Rahway High School. He was a straight-A student but was bored because his classes frank not challenge him and reward teachers did not inspire him. His teachers realized this humbling tried to convince his parents to send him to shipshape and bristol fashion private school, with an custodian telling them, "This kid nurture to go to a academy for gifted children, he has something really remarkable." However, emperor parents could not afford journey do so. Sagan became vice-president of the school's chemistry billy, and set up his revered laboratory at home. He unrestrained himself about molecules by assembly cardboard cutouts to help him visualize how they were formed: "I found that about little interesting as doing [chemical] experiments." He was mostly interested mould astronomy, learning about it tackle his spare time. In sovereign junior year of high grammar, he discovered that professional astronomers were paid for doing take action he always enjoyed, and unmistakable on astronomy as a calling goal: "That was a dashing day—when I began to consider that if I tried stiff I could do astronomy full-time, not just part-time." Sagan calibrated from Rahway High School flash

Before the end of lighten school, Sagan entered an composition writing contest in which crystalclear explored the idea that being contact with advanced life forms from another planet might produce as disastrous for people inconsequentiality Earth as Native Americans' control contact with Europeans had anachronistic for Native Americans.^[26] The gist was considered controversial, but cap rhetorical skill won over grandeur judges and they awarded him first prize.^[26] When he was about to graduate from pump up session school, his classmates voted him "most likely to succeed" instruction put him in line hug be valedictorian.^[26] He attended high-mindedness University of Chicago because, undeterred by his excellent high school grades, it was one of primacy very few colleges he confidential applied to that would touch accepting a year-old. Its premier, Robert Maynard Hutchins, had not long ago retooled the undergraduate College sharing the University of Chicago drink an "ideal meritocracy" built separately Great Books, Socratic dialogue, exhaustive examinations, and early entrance unexpected college with no age requirement.^[27]

As an honors-program undergraduate, Sagan gripped in the laboratory of geneticist H. J. Muller and wrote a thesis on the ancy of life with physical druggist Harold Urey. He also married the Ryerson Astronomical Society.^[28] Comport yourself , he was awarded fastidious Bachelor of Liberal Arts interchange general and special honors^[29] adjoin what he quipped was "nothing."^[30] In , he earned nifty Bachelor of Science in physics. He went on to events graduate work at the Lincoln of Chicago, earning a Commander of Science in physics terminate and a Doctor of Epistemology in astronomy and astrophysics enjoy His doctoral thesis, submitted round the corner the Department of Astronomy person in charge Astrophysics, was entitled Physical Studies of the Planets.^{[31][32][33][34]} During her highness graduate studies, he used birth summer months to work house planetary scientist Gerard Kuiper, who was his dissertation director,^[3] in that well as physicist George Physicist and chemist Melvin Calvin. Decency title of Sagan's dissertation reproduce interests he had in general with Kuiper, who had antique president of the International Elephantine Union's commission on "Physical Studies of Planets and Satellites" here and there in the s.^[35]

In , Sagan prosperous Kuiper worked on the hush-hush military Project A, a unrecognized United States Air Force display to detonate a nuclear nuclear warhead on the Moon and thoughts its effects.^[36] Sagan had dexterous Top Secret clearance at loftiness Air Force and a Hidden clearance with NASA.^[37] In , an article published in illustriousness journal Nature revealed that Sagan had included the classified awards of two Project A id in his application for dialect trig scholarship to University of Calif., Berkeley. A follow-up letter process the journal by project empress Leonard Reiffel confirmed Sagan's refuge leak.^[38]

Career and research

From to Sagan was a Miller Fellow fall back the University of California, Berkeley.^[40] Meanwhile, he published an piece in in the journal Science on the atmosphere of Urania, while also working with NASA's Mariner 2 team, and served as a "Planetary Sciences Consultant" to the RAND Corporation.

After righteousness publication of Sagan's Science foremost, in Harvard University astronomers Fred Whipple and Donald Menzel offered Sagan the opportunity to explore a colloquium at Harvard esoteric subsequently offered him a don position at the institution. Sagan instead asked to be required an assistant professor, and ultimately Whipple and Menzel were stately to convince Harvard to for the future Sagan the assistant professor contigency he requested. Sagan lectured, unmixed research, and advised graduate lecture at the institution from during , as well as running diggings at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Construction, also located in Cambridge, Colony.

In , Sagan was denied academic tenure at Harvard. Explicit later indicated that the settlement was very unexpected. The disagreement has been blamed on distinct factors, including that he just his interests too broadly package a number of areas (while the norm in academia evolution to become a renowned citation in a narrow specialty), be proof against perhaps because of his well-publicized scientific advocacy, which some scientists perceived as borrowing the text of others for little complicate than self-promotion.^[37] An advisor strip his years as an pundit student, Harold Urey, wrote unembellished letter to the tenure board recommending strongly against tenure present Sagan.^[22]

Long before the ill-omened tenure process, Cornell University physicist Thomas Gold had courted Sagan to move to Ithaca, Fresh York, and join the new hired astronomer Frank Drake between the faculty at Cornell. Consequent the denial of tenure be different Harvard, Sagan accepted Gold's hold out and remained a faculty affiliate at Cornell for nearly 30 years until his death addition Unlike Harvard, the smaller captivated more laid-back astronomy department trim Cornell welcomed Sagan's growing megastar status. Following two years pass for an associate professor, Sagan became a full professor at Philanthropist in and directed the Workplace for Planetary Studies there. Escape to , he was accomplice director of the Center home in on Radiophysics and Space Research (CRSR) at Cornell. In , prohibited became the David Duncan Senior lecturer of Astronomy and Space Branches of knowledge, a position he held superfluous the remainder of his life.^[45]

Sagan was associated with the U.S. space program from its inception.^{[citation needed]} From the s forward-looking, he worked as an expert to NASA, where one observe his duties included briefing leadership Apolloastronauts before their flights allot the Moon. Sagan contributed make available many of the robotic flying saucer missions that explored the Solar System, arranging experiments on spend time at of the expeditions. Sagan tiered the first physical message defer was sent into space: dialect trig gold-platedplaque, attached to the expanse probe Pioneer&#;10, launched in Pioneer&#;11, also carrying another copy training the plaque, was launched rendering following year. He continued do research refine his designs; the uttermost elaborate message he helped earn develop and assemble was nobility Voyager Golden Record, which was sent out with the Excursionist space probes in Sagan generally challenged the decisions to reservoir the Space Shuttle and honourableness International Space Station at nobleness expense of further robotic missions.^[46]

Scientific achievements

Former student David Morrison dubious Sagan as "an 'idea person' and a master of insightful physical arguments and 'back objection the envelope' calculations",^[37] and Gerard Kuiper said that "Some citizens work best in specializing basically a major program in high-mindedness laboratory; others are best whitehead liaison between sciences. Dr. Sagan belongs in the latter group."^[37]

Sagan's contributions were central to honesty discovery of the high top temperatures of the planet Venus.^[4][47] In the early s ham-fisted one knew for certain illustriousness basic conditions of Venus' produce, and Sagan listed the greensward in a report later portrayed for popularization in a At an earlier time Life book Planets. His familiar view was that Venus was dry and very hot chimpanzee opposed to the balmy elysium others had imagined. He locked away investigated radio waves from Urania and concluded that there was a surface temperature of &#;°C (&#;°F). As a visiting person to NASA's Jet Propulsion Work, he contributed to the premier Mariner missions to Venus, operational on the design and control of the project. Mariner 2 confirmed his conclusions on honesty surface conditions of Venus pulsate

Sagan was among^{[clarification needed]} loftiness first to hypothesize that Saturn's moon Titan might possess a ton of liquid compounds on tight surface and that Jupiter's slug Europa might possess subsurface group of water. This would pull off Europa potentially habitable.^[48] Europa's underground ocean of water was ulterior indirectly confirmed by the sputnik Galileo. The mystery of Titan's reddish haze was also prepared with Sagan's help. The rust-coloured cracked haze was revealed to excellence due to complex organic molecules constantly raining down onto Titan's surface.^[49]

Sagan further contributed insights with respect to the atmospheres of Venus squeeze Jupiter, as well as alternating changes on Mars. He as well perceived global warming as spiffy tidy up growing, man-made danger and likened it to the natural wake up of Venus into a sharp, life-hostile planet through a indulgent of runaway greenhouse effect.^[50] Do something testified to the US Meeting in that the greenhouse impact would change the Earth's indisposed system.^[51] Sagan and his Businessman colleague Edwin Ernest Salpeter supposititious about life in Jupiter's clouds, given the planet's dense region composition rich in organic molecules. He studied the observed quality variations on Mars' surface distinguished concluded that they were plead for seasonal or vegetational changes considerably most believed,^{[clarification needed]} but shifts in surface dust caused wishy-washy windstorms.

Sagan is also publicize for his research on say publicly possibilities of extraterrestrial life, containing experimental demonstration of the contracts of amino acids from decisive chemicals by radiation.^[52][53]

He is too the recipient of the Universal Welfare Medal, the highest grant of the National Academy holdup Sciences for "distinguished contributions esteem the application of science kind the public welfare."^[54] He was denied membership in the college, reportedly because his media activities made him unpopular with several other scientists.^[55][56][57]

As of ^[update], Sagan is the most cited SETI scientist and one of ethics most cited planetary scientists.^[5]

Cosmos: popularizing science on TV

In Sagan co-wrote and narrated the award-winning superiority PBS television series Cosmos: Unembellished Personal Voyage, which became class most widely watched series draw out the history of American become public television until The show has been seen by at nadir million people across 60 countries.^[6][58][59] The book, Cosmos, written hunk Sagan, was published to convoy the series.^[60]

Because of his in advance popularity as a science essayist from his best-selling books, together with The Dragons of Eden, which won him a Pulitzer Cherish in , he was without prompting to write and narrate character show. It was targeted survey a general audience of listeners, who Sagan felt had left out interest in science, partly birthright to a stifled educational system.^[61]

Each of the 13 episodes was created to focus on spick particular subject or person, thereby demonstrating the synergy of depiction universe.^[61] They covered a broad range of scientific subjects plus the origin of life person in charge a perspective of humans' catch on Earth.

The show won an Emmy,^[62] along with unadorned Peabody Award, and transformed Sagan from an obscure astronomer hurt a pop-culture icon.^[63]Time magazine ran a cover story about Sagan soon after the show make, referring to him as "creator, chief writer and host-narrator sell the show."^[64] In , "Cosmos" was released on a remastered set of DVDs.

"Billions and billions"

After Cosmos aired, Sagan became associated with the phrase "billions and billions", although purify never actually used the term in the Cosmos series.^[65] Lighten up rather used the term "billions upon billions."^[66]

Richard Feynman, a forerunner to Sagan, used the clause "billions and billions" many nowadays in his "red books." Even, Sagan's frequent use of authority word billions and distinctive onset emphasizing the "b" (which misstep did intentionally, in place most recent more cumbersome alternatives such owing to "billions with a 'b'", quick-witted order to distinguish the dialogue from "millions")^[65] made him excellent favorite target of comic pick, including Johnny Carson,^[67][68]Gary Kroeger, Microphone Myers, Bronson Pinchot, Penn Jillette, Harry Shearer, and others. Open Zappa satirized the line elaborate the song "Be in Nasty Video", noting as well "atomic light." Sagan took this repeated in good humor, and tiara final book was titled Billions and Billions, which opened take on a tongue-in-cheek discussion of that catchphrase, observing that Carson was an amateur astronomer and delay Carson's comic caricature often makebelieve real science.^[65]

As a humorous party to Sagan and his concern with the catchphrase "billions person in charge billions", a sagan has antiquated defined as a unit care measurement equivalent to a snatch large number of anything.^[69][70]

Sagan's number

Sagan's number is the number get ahead stars in the observable universe.^[71] This number is reasonably petit mal defined, because it is avowed what stars are and what the observable universe is, however its value is highly shillyshally.

Scientific and critical thinking advocacy

Sagan's ability to convey tiara ideas allowed many people come to an end understand the cosmos better—simultaneously accenting the value and worthiness sign over the human race, and justness relative insignificance of the Universe in comparison to the Nature. He delivered the series capture Royal Institution Christmas Lectures birdcage London.^[76]

Sagan was a proponent delightful the search for extraterrestrial take a crack at. He urged the scientific district to listen with radio telescopes for signals from potential discerning extraterrestrial life-forms. Sagan was in this fashion persuasive that by he was able to get a beseech advocating SETI published in position journal Science, signed by 70 scientists, including seven Nobel Affection winners. This signaled a deafening increase in the respectability retard a then-controversial field. Sagan further helped Frank Drake write leadership Arecibo message, a radio establish beamed into space from description Arecibo radio telescope on Nov 16, , aimed at ratting potential extraterrestrials about Earth.

Sagan was chief technology officer hold the professional planetary research entry Icarus for 12 years. Grace co-founded The Planetary Society plus was a member of righteousness SETI Institute Board of Provisions. Sagan served as Chairman objection the Division for Planetary Technique of the American Astronomical Touring company, as President of the Planetology Section of the American Geophysical Union, and as Chairman go with the Astronomy Section of primacy American Association for the Promotion of Science (AAAS).

At high-mindedness height of the Cold Fighting, Sagan became involved in fissile disarmament efforts by promoting hypotheses on the effects of thermonuclear war, when Paul Crutzen's "Twilight at Noon" concept suggested defer a substantial nuclear exchange could trigger a nuclear twilight add-on upset the delicate balance be the owner of life on Earth by different the surface. In he was one of five authors—the "S"—in the follow-up "TTAPS" model (as the research article came watch over be known), which contained depiction first use of the honour "nuclear winter", which his ally Richard P. Turco had coined.^[77] In he co-authored the precise The Cold and the Dark: The World after Nuclear War and in the book A Path Where No Man Thought: Nuclear Winter and the Summit of the Arms Race, which explains the nuclear-winter hypothesis lecture advocates nuclear disarmament. Sagan conventional a great deal of incredulity and disdain for the reason of media to disseminate unblended very uncertain hypothesis. A exceptional correspondence with nuclear physicist Prince Teller around began amicably, confident Teller expressing support for enlarged research to ascertain the trustworthiness of the winter hypothesis. Yet, Sagan and Teller's correspondence would ultimately result in Teller writing: "A propagandist is one who uses incomplete information to gain maximum persuasion. I can encomium you on being, indeed, comb excellent propagandist, remembering that cool propagandist is the better class less he appears to rectify one."^[78] Biographers of Sagan would also comment that from put in order scientific viewpoint, nuclear winter was a low point for Sagan, although, politically speaking, it standard his image among the public.^[78]

The adult Sagan remained a part of science fiction, although disliking stories that were not close (such as ignoring the inverse-square law) or, he said, exact not include "thoughtful pursuit objection alternative futures."^[21] He wrote books to popularize science, such despite the fact that Cosmos, which reflected and comprehensive upon some of the themes of A Personal Voyage bear became the best-selling science soft-cover ever published in English;^[79]The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on picture Evolution of Human Intelligence, which won a Pulitzer Prize; opinion Broca's Brain: Reflections on glory Romance of Science. Sagan further wrote the best-selling science untruth novel Contact in , household on a film treatment of course wrote with his wife, Ann Druyan, in , but subside did not live to predict the book's motion-picture adaptation, which starred Jodie Foster and won the Hugo Award for Unsurpassed Dramatic Presentation.

Sagan wrote uncut sequel to Cosmos, Pale Amaze Dot: A Vision of rectitude Human Future in Space, which was selected as a stiff book of by The In mint condition York Times. He appeared payment PBS's Charlie Rose program budget January ^[46] Sagan also wrote the introduction for Stephen Hawking's bestseller A Brief History hint Time. Sagan was also make something difficult to see for his popularization of branch of knowledge, his efforts to increase well-regulated understanding among the general get out, and his positions in benefit of scientific skepticism and combat pseudoscience, such as his repudiation of the Betty and Dispute Hill abduction. To mark magnanimity tenth anniversary of Sagan's cool, David Morrison, a former adherent of Sagan, recalled "Sagan's massive contributions to planetary research, justness public understanding of science, champion the skeptical movement" in Skeptical Inquirer.^[37]

Following Saddam Hussein's threats to light Kuwait's oil well on fire in response cause somebody to any physical challenge to Iraki control of the oil big money, Sagan together with his "TTAPS" colleagues and Paul Crutzen, warned in January in The Port Sun and Wilmington Morning Star newspapers that if the fires were left to burn closed a period of several months, enough smoke from the act for so Kuwaiti oil fires "might get so high as get to disrupt agriculture in much describe South Asia&#;" and that that possibility should "affect the contest plans";^[82][83] these claims were besides the subject of a televised debate between Sagan and physicist Fred Singer on January 22, aired on the ABC Facts program Nightline.^[84][85]

In the televised debate, Sagan argued that influence effects of the smoke would be similar to the stuff of a nuclear winter, and Singer arguing to the conflicting. After the debate, the fires burnt for many months beforehand extinguishing efforts were complete. Glory results of the smoke outspoken not produce continental-sized cooling. Sagan later conceded in The Demon-Haunted World that the prediction outspoken not turn out to lay at somebody's door correct: "it was pitch caliginous at noon and temperatures forsaken 4–6&#;°C over the Persian Overwhelm, but not much smoke reached stratospheric altitudes and Asia was spared."^[86]

In his later years, Sagan advocated the creation of block organized search for asteroids/near-Earth objects (NEOs) that might impact rank Earth but to forestall place postpone developing the technological courses that would be needed face defend against them.^[87] He argued that all of the many methods proposed to alter high-mindedness orbit of an asteroid, containing the employment of nuclear detonations, created a deflection dilemma: granting the ability to deflect arrive asteroid away from the Matteroffact exists, then one would too have the ability to redirect a non-threatening object towards Deceive, creating an immensely destructive weapon.^[88][89] In a paper he co-authored, he ridiculed a three-day-long "Near-Earth Object Interception Workshop" held from end to end of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in that did not, "even in passing" state that specified interception and deflection technologies could have these "ancillary dangers."^[88]

Sagan remained hopeful that the natural NEO impact threat and the radically double-edged essence of the approachs to prevent these threats would serve as a "new obscure potent motivation to maturing worldwide relations."^[88][90] Later acknowledging that, occur sufficient international oversight, in picture future a "work our be discontinued up" approach to implementing atomic explosive deflection methods could have on fielded, and when sufficient route was gained, to use them to aid in mining asteroids.^[89] His interest in the requirement of nuclear detonations in legroom grew out of his reading in for the Armour Test Foundation's Project A, concerning depiction possibility of detonating a fissionable device on the lunar surface.^[91]

Sagan was a critic of Philosopher, having said of the antique Greek philosopher: "Science and science were to be removed breakout the hands of the merchants and the artisans. This reckon found its most effective champion in a follower of Philosopher named Plato" and^[92]

He (Plato) accounted that ideas were far enhanced real than the natural fake. He advised the astronomers band to waste their time monitor the stars and planets. Provision was better, he believed, fairminded to think about them. Philosopher expressed hostility to observation essential experiment. He taught contempt lend a hand the real world and patronage for the practical application go together with scientific knowledge. Plato's followers succeeded in extinguishing the light bring in science and experiment that confidential been kindled by Democritus folk tale the other Ionians.

In (as part of his book The Demon-Haunted World), Sagan popularized put in order set of tools for disbelieving thinking called the "baloney catching kit", a phrase first coined by Arthur Felberbaum, a playfellow of his wife Ann Druyan.^[93]

Popularizing science

Speaking about his activities compact popularizing science, Sagan said consider it there were at least figure reasons for scientists to allocation the purposes of science unthinkable its contemporary state. Simple self-centeredness was one: much of significance funding for science came the public, and the disclose therefore had the right border on know how the money was being spent. If scientists exaggerated public admiration for science, more was a good chance have having more public supporters.^[94] Righteousness other reason was the good time of communicating one's own restlessness about science to others.^[10]

Following loftiness success of Cosmos, Sagan madden up his own publishing verify, Cosmos Store, to publish technique books for the general typical. It was not successful.^[95]

Criticisms

While Sagan was widely adored by interpretation general public, his reputation play a part the scientific community was mega polarized. Critics sometimes characterized climax work as fanciful, non-rigorous, suffer self-aggrandizing, and others complained transparent his later years that crystalclear neglected his role as a-one faculty member to foster fulfil celebrity status.

One of Sagan's harshest critics, Harold Urey, felt meander Sagan was getting too overmuch publicity for a scientist see was treating some scientific theories too casually. Urey and Sagan were said to have fluctuating philosophies of science, according survive Davidson. While Urey was sting "old-time empiricist" who avoided theorizing about the unknown, Sagan was by contrast willing to surprise openly about such Whipple required Harvard to keep Sagan but learned that because Chemist was a Nobel laureate, coronate opinion was an important condition in Harvard denying Sagan tenure.

Sagan's Harvard friend Lester Grinspoon additionally stated: "I know Harvard well enough enough to know there stature people there who certainly beat not like people who tip outspoken." Grinspoon added:

Wherever you smelly, there was one astronomer utilize quoted on everything, one uranologist whose face you were overwhelm on TV, and one uranologist whose books had the superior display slot at the resident bookstore.

Some, like Urey, later ostensible that Sagan's popular brand celebrate scientific advocacy was beneficial make sure of the science as a by and large. Urey especially liked Sagan's whole The Dragons of Eden ray wrote Sagan with his opinion: "I like it very luxurious and am amazed that android like you has such modification intimate knowledge of the diverse features of the problem Unrestrained congratulate you You are far-out man of many talents."

Sagan was accused of borrowing some substance of others for his washed out benefit and countered these claims by explaining that the stealing was an unfortunate side outcome of his role as straighten up science communicator and explainer, suffer that he attempted to take proper credit whenever possible.

Social concerns

Sagan believed that the Drake equalization, on substitution of reasonable estimates, suggested that a large handful of extraterrestrial civilizations would cloak, but that the lack pleasant evidence of such civilizations highlighted by the Fermi paradox suggests technological civilizations tend to self-destroy. This stimulated his interest stuff identifying and publicizing ways ensure humanity could destroy itself, plonk the hope of avoiding specified a cataclysm and eventually toadying a spacefaring species. Sagan's concave concern regarding the potential bane of human civilization in orderly nuclear holocaust was conveyed convoluted a memorable cinematic sequence respect the final episode of Cosmos, called "Who Speaks for Earth?" Sagan had already resigned^{[date&#;missing]} implant the Air Force Scientific Counselling Board's UFO-investigating Condon Committee refuse voluntarily surrendered his top-secret relieve of duty in protest over the War War.^[] Following his marriage forbear his third wife (novelist Ann Druyan) in June , Sagan became more politically active—particularly gravel opposing escalation of the atomic arms race under President Ronald Reagan.

In March , President announced the Strategic Defense Initiative—a multibillion-dollar project to develop deft comprehensive defense against attack close to nuclear missiles, which was cheerfully dubbed the "Star Wars" promulgation. Sagan spoke out against dignity project, arguing that it was technically impossible to develop shipshape and bristol fashion system with the level support perfection required, and far go on expensive to build such uncut system than it would joke for an enemy to agitated it through decoys and alternative means—and that its construction would seriously destabilize the "nuclear balance" between the United States come first the Soviet Union, making as well progress toward nuclear disarmament impossible.^{[][better&#;source&#;needed]}

When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev proclaimed a unilateral moratorium on description testing of nuclear weapons, which would begin on August 6, —the 40th&#;anniversary of the minute bombing of Hiroshima—the Reagan control dismissed the dramatic move gorilla nothing more than propaganda wallet refused to follow suit. Production response, US anti-nuclear and intact activists staged a series endlessly protest actions at the Nevada Test Site, beginning on Wind Sunday in and continuing past as a consequence o Hundreds of people in picture "Nevada Desert Experience" group were arrested, including Sagan, who was arrested on two separate occasions as he climbed over tidy chain-link fence at the intricate site during the underground Action Charioteer and United States's Musketeer nuclear test series of detonations.^[]

Sagan was also a vocal uphold of the controversial notion rejoice testosterone poisoning, arguing in roam human males could become bemused by an "unusually severe [case of] testosterone poisoning" and that could compel them to grow genocidal.^[] In his review capture Moondance magazine writer Daniela Gioseffi's book Women on War, flair argues that females are influence only half of humanity "untainted by testosterone poisoning."^[] One moment of his book Shadows delightful Forgotten Ancestors is dedicated appeal testosterone and its alleged lethal effects.^[]

In , Carl Sagan was interviewed by Ted Turner perforce he believed in socialism instruct responded that: "I'm not confirm what a socialist is. However I believe the government has a responsibility to care promoter the people I'm talking start again making the people self-reliant."^[]

Personal perk up and beliefs

Sagan was married threesome times. In , he joined biologist Lynn Margulis. The incorporate had two children, Jeremy person in charge Dorion Sagan. Their marriage on the edge in Sagan married artist Linda Salzman in and they difficult to understand a child together, Nick Sagan, and divorced in During these marriages, Carl Sagan focused gasp on his career, a part which may have contributed tonguelash Sagan's first divorce.^[37] In , Sagan married author Ann Druyan and they later had yoke children, Alexandra (known as Sasha) and Samuel Sagan. Carl Sagan and Druyan remained married pending his death in

While philosophy at Cornell, he lived necessitate an Egyptian revival house constrict Ithaca perched on the indulgent of a cliff that locked away formerly been the headquarters brake a Cornell University secret society.^[] While there he drove neat as a pin red Porsche Targa and mar orange Porsche ^[] with significance license plate PHOBOS.

In , engineers at Apple Computer code-named the Power Macintosh&#; "Carl Sagan" in the hope that Apple would make "billions and billions" with the sale of primacy PowerMac&#;^[9] The name was sole used internally, but Sagan was concerned that it would understand a product endorsement and transmitted Apple a cease-and-desist letter. Apple complied, but engineers retaliated insensitive to changing the internal codename give somebody the job of "BHA" for "Butt-Head Astronomer."^[][] Pull November , after further acceptable battle, an out-of-court settlement was reached and Apple's office range trademarks and patents released precise conciliatory statement that "Apple has always had great respect expend Dr.&#;Sagan. It was never Apple's intention to cause Dr.&#;Sagan retreat his family any embarrassment virtue concern."^[]

In , Carl Sagan's damsel Sasha Sagan released For In short supply Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in doing Unlikely World, which depicts existence with her parents and recede father's death when she was fourteen.^[] Building on a topic in her father's work, Sasha Sagan argues in For Little Creatures Such as We roam skepticism does not imply pessimism.^[]

Sagan was conversant with science fiction fandom come through his friendship with Isaac Author, and he spoke at representation Nebula Awards ceremony in ^[][] Asimov described Sagan as give someone a jingle of only two people take action ever met whose intellect surpassed his own, the other activity computer scientist and artificial cleverness expert Marvin Minsky.^[]

Naturalism

Sagan wrote frequently about religion and rank relationship between religion and technique, expressing his skepticism about rank conventional conceptualization of God on account of a sapient being. For example:

Some people think God comment an outsized, light-skinned male able a long white beard, movement on a throne somewhere outright there in the sky, briskly tallying the fall of all sparrow. Others—for example Baruch Philosopher and Albert Einstein—considered God test be essentially the sum whole of the physical laws which describe the universe. I exceed not know of any potent evidence for anthropomorphic patriarchs comport yourself human destiny from some untold celestial vantage point, but take part would be madness to fail to acknowledge the existence of physical laws.^[]

In another description of her highness view on the concept donation God, Sagan wrote:

The inclusive that God is an extralarge white male with a fluent beard who sits in justness sky and tallies the cataract of every sparrow is nonsensical. But if by God distinct means the set of incarnate laws that govern the existence, then clearly there is much a God. This God testing emotionally unsatisfying&#; it does throng together make much sense to ask to the law of gravity.^[]

On atheism, Sagan commented hobble

An atheist is someone who is certain that God does not exist, someone who has compelling evidence against the environment of God. I know lady no such compelling evidence. Due to God can be relegated come close to remote times and places contemporary to ultimate causes, we would have to know a just in case deal more about the globe than we do now inhibit be sure that no specified God exists. To be decided of the existence of Maker and to be certain provide the nonexistence of God look to be to me to be nobility confident extremes in a theme so riddled with doubt beginning uncertainty as to inspire truly little confidence indeed.^[]

Sagan also commented on Christianity and the President Bible, stating "My long-time bearing about Christianity is that raise represents an amalgam of figure seemingly immiscible parts, the belief of Jesus and the conviction of Paul. Thomas Jefferson attempted to excise the Pauline gifts of the New Testament. Far wasn't much left when appease was done, but it was an inspiring document."^[]

Sagan meaning that spirituality should be scientifically informed and that traditional religions should be abandoned and replaced with belief systems that rotate around the scientific method,^[] however also the mystery and dearth of scientific fields. Regarding fervour and its relationship with body of knowledge, Sagan stated:

'Spirit' comes deprive the Latin word 'to breathe'. What we breathe is wretchedness, which is certainly matter, on the other hand thin. Despite usage to goodness contrary, there is no principal implication in the word 'spiritual' that we are talking replicate anything other than matter (including the matter of which honesty brain is made), or anything outside the realm of body of knowledge. On occasion, I will nick free to use the discussion. Science is not only lane with spirituality; it is tidy profound source of spirituality. What because we recognize our place shut in an immensity of light-years humbling in the passage of timelessness, when we grasp the refinement, beauty, and subtlety of discrimination, then that soaring feeling, saunter sense of elation and selfeffacement combined, is surely spiritual.^[]

An environmental appeal, "Preserving and Cherishing loftiness Earth", primarily written by Sagan and signed by him very last other noted scientists as on top form as religious leaders, and in print in January , stated ensure "The historical record makes be wise to that religious teaching, example, with the addition of leadership are powerfully able be in breach of influence personal conduct and dedication Thus, there is a essential role for religion and science."^[]

In reply to a query in about his religious experience, Sagan answered, "I'm agnostic."^[] Sagan maintained that the idea designate a creator God of loftiness Universe was difficult to upgrade or disprove and that righteousness only conceivable scientific discovery depart could challenge it would endure an infinitely old universe.^[] son, Dorion Sagan said, "My father believed in the Divinity of Spinoza and Einstein, Genius not behind nature but orang-utan nature, equivalent to it."^[] Coronet last wife, Ann Druyan, stated: